Wheeled chair



` Patented 1an. 3, |899.

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IINTTnn STATES lMTnNT @Tric-E.

IVILLIAM J. STRENG, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

WHEELED CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,058, dated January3, 1899. Application filed October 15,1898. Serial No. 693.636. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ wil/m t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. STRENG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and usefnl Improvements in IVheeled Chairs, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

The invention consists, first, in the adjusting means for the back andfoot-rest sections; further, in the construction of said foot-restsection; further, in the construction of the running-gear frame, and,further, in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, asmore fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my wheeled chair.Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with the wheels removed. Fig. 3 is asection showing the clamp for the back and foot-rest adjustment.

A is the seat-section, to the front and rear edges of which are hinged,respectively, the foot-rest section B and the back-section C. Thesethree sections are adj ustably secured together by means of the bars D,arranged on opposite sides of the chair. Each bar D is pivoted at itsupper ends ct to the back-section, and at its lower end is provided witha curved and longitudinally-slotted section Z9, slidingly engaging withpivot-pins c on the foot-rest section. Intermediately the bar D isprovided with a longitudinal slot d, with which a clamping pivot-bolt Eon the seatsection engages, preferably a single bolt passingtransversely through the seat and slots CZ of each rod and provided ateach end with clamping-nuts F. These nuts F are prefer-- ably in theform of knobs or wheels, which may be easily grasped and operated by theuser of the chair while seated therein.

The length of the slots d is sufficient to permit of swinging the backthrough the desired angle of adjustment, the olamping-bolt and nutsserving to lock it at any point. The movement of the back will, throughthe engagement of the curved slotted sections b of the bars CZ with thepins c, cause a corresponding movement of the footsection B, the bars Dsliding and twisting on the bolts E.

The upward swinging of the foot-section is greatly facilitated by thecurved form of the slotswith which the pins c engage, as the pressure onthe pin is brought more nearly in the direction of its movement. Thuswhen the seat-section is in substantially a vertical position and thepins are at the inner ends of the slots the pressure on the pins is moreforward than upward; but as the section 6o swings forward and the pinstravel forward in the slots the pressure becomes more of a lift.

G are brackets secured to the sides of the foot-rest section B andcomprising the parallel bars e and f, the former being provided with aseries of notches g and the latter with a corresponding series of lugsor shoulders h.

II is afootboard or shelf the ends of which 7o are reduced in widthandare adapted to enter the slot between the bars c and f, one edgeengaging with one of the notches g and the other resting upon thecorresponding lug or shoulder h. With this construction the height ofthe footboard I-I may be changed by turning it at an angle so as todisengage its rear edge from the notch g and to engage it with a higheror lower notch and then turning it back again to rest its forward edgeon 8o the lug h.

The seat-section A is supported upon the axles I and .I for the forwardand rear wheels K and L, respectively, the forward wheels being smalland the rear wheels of greater diameter.

rIhe supporting-frame preferably comprises the following construction: Mis a spring-bar, at its forward end connected to the axle I, which barhas the upwardly and rearwardly 9o extending portion t' attached to thebottom of the seat ata point near its rear edge. Beyond this point ofattachment the bar is formed into a spiral curve j, extending around therear axle .I and having its end secured to said axle.

N is a reach-bar connected at its rear end with the end of the bar M tothe axle J and at its forward end riveted or otherwise se cured to theportion t' of the bar M. loo

O is a vertical bar or post secured at its lower end with the barM tothe axle I and at its upper end to the bottom of the seat near itsforward edge.

A wheeled chair of the construction above described is especiallyadaptedto be employed as a childs carriage, the adjustable feature of the backand foot-rest permitting of its being thrown into any suitable form orinclination that may be desired and the parts M, N, and O forming alight and springy frame. At the same time its use is not limited to thisone purpose, andit is obvious that it might be employed as aninvalid-chair capable of being propelled by the user by turning thelarge rear wheels by hand. For the latter purpose, the adjustment forthe back and foot-rest being controlled by the clamping-knob F, which isin a most convenient position for operation by a person sitting in thechair, the inclination may be altered as often as desired with butlittle effort on the part of the user.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination with theseat-section having the back and foot-rest sections hinged thereto, of aside connecting-bar D pivotally secured at its upper end to theback-section and having the central longitudinal slot d and the curvedand slotted end section b, a pin c on said foot-rest section with whichsaid slotted section ZJ engages and a clamping-pivot on saidseat-section engaging with said slot d and adapted to hold the parts inany position of adjustment.

2. The combination with the seat-section having the back and foot-restsections hinged thereto of bars D pivotally secured at their upper endsto said back-section on opposite sides thereof, each having a central,longitudinal slot el and a curved and slotted end section b, pins onsaid foot-rest section engaging with said slotted sections b, a rod Epassing transversely across said seat-section and the slots d of thebars, and clamping-nuts F engaging with the opposite ends of said rod.

3. The combination with the foot-rest section, an adjustable footboardtherefor, of brackets G on opposite sides of said section, comprisingparallel bars between which the ends of said board project, one of saidbars being provided with a series of notches g and the opposite bar witha corresponding series of lugs or shoulders h for the purpose described.

4:. A wheeled chair comprising a seat, the forward and rear wheeledaxles and a supporting-frame comprising the bars M,each attached at oneend to the forward axle and having the upwardly and rearwardly extendingsection i, secured to the bottom of the seat near its rear edge, and thespiral spring portion j passing around the rear axle and se curedthereto, the reach members N connecting said rear axle with the portionsi of the bars M and the posts O supporting the forward edge of the seat.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM J. STRENG.

Witnesses JAMES WHITTEMORE, L. J. WHITTEMORE.

